Group of residents stop machine operation, allege damage caused to sand dune
The face off at Fatrade-Varca on Saturday evening over the question of JCB machine deployed near the beach.
MARGAO
A political confrontation erupted over the weekend in Fatrade in Varca village between Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas’ camp and that of his rival Warren Alemao, following the use of a JCB machine near the Fatrade beach area.
Both groups descended on the Colva Police Station after tensions flared at the site. The incident took a further turn when MLA Venzy Viegas on late Saturday demanded the attachment of the JCB machine after it was stopped by a group of residents, alleging that the machine had caused damage to a sand dune.
Sunday morning saw Warren Alemao, accompanied by Varca Sarpanch Flavia Barretto and local panch member Roland Fernandes and local residents visiting the site to send a message that the JCB has not damaged any sand dune. They maintained that the JCB was only deployed to clear bushes along an access leading to the beach.
The Sunday visit has come against the backdrop of the fact that MLA Venzy and local resident Francis had claimed that the machine had gone beyond clearing bushes and had allegedly tampered with the sand dune.
The incident began when Panch member Roland requested Warren to deploy his JCB to clear the overgrown access path to the beach. Tensions escalated further when panch member Roland and local resident and local Aam Admi Party leader, Francis accused each other of turning physical during the incident.
Incidentally, Sarpanch Flavia told the media at the Colva police station that the panchayat had passed a resolution to build a road and drain at the access and to clean up the area due to the heavy spread of bushes.
Late Saturday, MLA Venzy Viegas demanded that the Colva police immediately seize the machine and take action against those responsible for deploying it at Fatrade. He further called on the South Goa District Collector and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to initiate an inquiry into the alleged sand dune tampering. “Under the guise of desilting ponds and water bodies, people cannot go and damage sand dunes. This is a serious issue, and the authorities cannot turn a blind eye,” Venzy asserted.
Meanwhile, Colva police has maintained that the police will initiate action if a complaint is filed by an expert body such as the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
